Better Red Then Dead
by nipper2000h
Summary: Follow a guard through the miner rebellion as he defends Ultor, his friends, and his job.
1. Meet the boys

"Staff Sergeant Justin McKinley of the Ultor Mines Suppression Team, please report to guard station immediately", the voice over the loud speaker announced. Justin was more or less engulfed with his daily ration, instead of paying attention to the loudspeaker.  
  
"Ohhh," chanted the table he sat at. "Looks like big-boy boss man got in a spicket of trouble." his squad taunted. Justin sighed and chuckled to himself. He had followed the protocol exactly to the book, for tooth and nail. Command had nothing on him.  
  
"Shut up guys or I'll have all of u pulling double shifts," he said to the lance under his command. They pretended to be scared as he got up and marched himself out of the mess hall. Justin wound his way around the huge underground Martian complex. He remembered the first day of boot at this place. Oh, yes, that God forsaken day where every guard becomes a man. He remembered protocol giving him his sidearm, the very same one still strapped onto his leg. Most guards lost theirs. The guards claimed the miners stole them. That was their big joke 'Oh no! The miners stole my gun' and 'Oh no! The miners stole my money' and 'Oh no! The miners stole my virginity!' and those sorts of claims. He chuckled to himself as he turned the corner. The lights flashed off his newly polished helmet. It made him queasy, the bright lights. The same day he received his sidearm, command made him shoot his own leg.  
  
"Now as an authority figure, you may be forced to shoot those who disobey. Thus law requires that you experience their pain, just incase they try to sue Ultor." It was an insane request but he had to do it. He was alone in a room, bright lights all around as he lifted the pistol and put the barrel against his thigh. Cringed at the thought of what happens next he shoved it out of his mind and concentrated on some miners in the hallway.  
  
"Hey! Get back to work, mine scum! I didn't say you could take a break!" he yelled at a trio of miners crowded around a poster. "Hey! Are you listening to me?" Justin behind the red garbed miners and spun the closest one to him around. "GET BACK TO WORK!" he shouted into his face. Without a word the three miners walked off without looking back. Justin watched them walk away and then turn his attention to the poster. It read " REWARD for the capture of Eos" there was a question mark where her picture should be. 'Command can't even get a picture…how stupid' he thought as he trailed off to his previous destination.  
  
As Justin approached the door it opened automatically.  
  
"Sir! Staff Sergeant Justin McKinley reporting as requested, Sir!" Justin chanted as he entered the dimly lit room. In the room Justin spied a long table and a lamp that hung from the ceiling. It hung just low enough so the faces of the Command could not be seen amongst the shadows. His palms started to sweat when no one answered.  
  
Finally, a voice came from the end of the table. "Yes…Staff Sergeant. That is a bit informal wouldn't you say? I would much rather change it to Sergeant Major." The voice said. Justin's eyes widened and he felt a burst of adrenaline rush to every inch of his body.  
  
"Sir! May I ask what the occasion is for my promotion? Staff Sergeant to a Sergeant Major is a big jump without a reason." Justin barely squeaked out.  
  
"Yes it is. Well your lance has been promoted too, to a different shift. The predescosor has been killed by, well I think they call themselves the Red Faction. I'm not sure but they are a ragtag group of rebels." The voice continued. "Effective immediately."  
  
"Sir, when does this shift begin?" Justin asked confused.  
  
"In about, 2 and one half minutes." The voice answered.  
  
Justin's eyes became wide again. Of course the catch, there was always a catch. "But Sir! We just got off shift not more then fifteen minutes ago! At least give my men some time to rest!"  
  
"Negative." The voice answered. "We can't spare the time. Dismissed." Justin knew better then to argue with the voice of reason so he turned on his heel and promptly left without another word or thought. The walk back to the mess hall was swift and precise. He was contemplating a way of telling the men without them killing him. Maybe a joke would work. Or maybe making himself seemed tough, yeah that would work. ' I'll just make myself seem really tough then so they wont argue and if they do then I'll go upside their heads'. Yes…he thought to himself. He remembered his favorite T.V. show as a kid. It was a classic but it was good, set in the present. The character Bender said that all the time.  
  
SMACK  
  
"Oww!" Justin said outloud. He looked up to see what had interrupted his thoughts. He saw a man clad in red garnments. "Out of my way!" Justin said forcefully as he knocked the man in the stomach. The man in red fell to the floor, gasping for air. Justin stepped over him and entered the messhall to greet his men.  
  
"So, what did Big Boss Man Sarg do on his visit with the exec's?" PFC Stud teased.  
  
"No, Stud, that's 'So, what did Big Boss Man Sarg do on his visit with the exec's?' Sir!" PFC Jamer corrected him. The men and Justin shared a laugh before he cut them short by going upside Jamer's head. "Hey Sarg! What was that for?" Jamer protested the smack.  
  
"Listen goon-dogs. I volunteered you all for a second shift, just like I promised. For that the execs promoted me to Sergeant Major. Report to the airlock immediately for envirosuit check and new guard stations. That is all." He didn't give the men a chance to even let their jaws drop before he turned and walked out towards the airlock.  
  
Sergeant Major Justin McKinley had finished lacing up his envriosuit boots and headed toward the guard's airlock. He opened his locker and picked out an assault rifle and ammo. He restraped his pistol to the outside of the suit and turned to his lance who were also raiding the weapons locker. They picked out various sorts of weapons such as shotguns, submachine guns, and grenades. They never used the weapons so the lance didn't even both to carry ammo. The extra ten pounds was too much of a burden so they just took what ever the gun held, enough to dispatch the uncooroperative miner. Justin's assault rifle chewed through ammo and had a high rate of jamming so just in case he carried an extra mag with him at all times.  
  
"Alright men, our new mine is section H-18, just outside the medical station. If we're lucky we may be able to take a break on the nice cushiony beds." Justin announced. His squad was dreary eyed and when they heard beds a small smiled appeared across all of their faces. Anything was better then being drenched in sweat in your envirosuit. It was rumored that a miner drowned in his own sweat a week earlier. Although he had the plague that killed the miners left and right, the guards joked it was the sweat.  
  
The airlock hissed open as Justin thought more about the plague. How come the guards didn't die from it? Was it because the guards had better treatment or recived a vaccination? Possible. At any rate, Justin settled for the 'Because the guards are better'. Not treatment, better in general.  
  
Justin sighed heavily as he took up post in a tower. It was going to be another boring day in the mines…or so he thought.  
  
How was the first chapter? I hope it was good. This is my first fic ever and the only time I used word other then school. Please review if you want me to update! 


	2. The Darkest Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Red Faction or Hunter Jones-he is property of Obsidian13 (read his stories they kick ass!)  
  
Obsidian13- Sorry I didn't ask if I could use Hunter for a cameo but it seemed like a decent idea. Thanks for the great review!  
  
Tugging at the assault rifle on his back, Justin surveyed the new mine they were stationed at. 'This sucks.' He thought to himself. It was a boring job 90% of the time, when all the miners were acting the way they were supposed to. He secretly prayed that there wouldn't be an out burst in his sector because he questioned his own leadership abilities. 'If only I had a pack of cards…'  
  
"Yo Sarge! What's up with the strap, it bothering you?" Jamer shouted up to him from his route along the ground. Justin looked down off the guard tower and realized what he was doing. He had played with the strap so much he was violently tugging it downwards, and also bringing the upper half of his body to unrelenting jolts. Justin snapped back to reality and stopped, readjusted the strap and readjusted it a third time. Stud, Connely and Swanson all laughed and started their rounds again, taking the time to hassle the tired miners.  
  
"Hey Jamer, c'mere." Justin shouted after him. Jamer sighed heavily and started his trek back to the tower. He stopped at the bottom and stood at attention, waiting to be lectured on how he shouldn't mock his CO. "Instead, Justin called him up the tower and started to make friendly conversation with him. "Ya know Jamer, we've known each other a while, haven't we?" Justin started.  
  
"Yeah, we have" Jamer answered.  
  
"Hey remember that time in boot when we froze that shaving cream and put it in Mashortly's locker?" Justin said, remembering all times.  
  
"Haha, oh yeah! Everything was covered."  
  
"Yeah…yeah...I just wanted you to know, Jamer, I need you to back me up out there. I saw that poster again promoting the Red Faction. I'm not sure I can handle these guys by myself, so I'm putting you second-in-command. You're the only one in this squad I trust with a gun." Justin said with heart. Jamer knew he meant every word of it.  
  
"Don't worry Sir, when the time comes you're gonna do just fine. The men look up to you, not me. Sure, I'm always cracking jokes and stuff, but I'm too scared to even put my finger near the trigger of this here shotgun." Jamer said. After a moment of silence he continues again. "The men and I are counting on you to return us to our homes, so don't let us down, okay?"  
  
"You got it." Justin said with a smile. "So what do you have waiting for you back home, Jamer, that your so eager to get there. What do you have left here? Thirteen days is it?"  
  
"Sure is, Sir. I got two girls back home, sweetest little things, be heart broken if I died. Little Jamie asked me personally that I wouldn't accidentally turn off God mode and get my head blown off. Haha" Jamer said with humor. Justin listened intently. "God, I miss them."  
  
Not a moment after Jamer finished his sentence did a voice come over the comm. channel. It stated, "This is Eos, leader of the Red Faction. Miners, our time has come!" Justin's heart raced as he listened. He looked beside him to Jamer until the transmission was cut off. 'Oh shit' Justin thought 'No, not now, anytime but now.' His squad stopped moving and looked at him on the tower.  
  
"Don't just stand there, get in position! We're gonna have a hairy time!" Justin snapped. The squad burst into action as they ran and around the defensive towers, all eyes on the 15 foot high steel door. The cavern was quiet. The miners hadn't made it to them yet but they will eventually. They outnumbered the guards almost three to one. After two entire minutes of silence, Justin had to take some action.  
  
"Squad, listen up! The guards below us are probably going to need some help, we should go back them up. Pile out and shoot anything wearing red!" Justin barked towards his squad. They quickly complied and followed him down the cavern. They moved swiftly until they heard gunfire. From the loud blasts it sounded like a shotgun. "Squad, move up! They're close!" Justin put the assault rifle to his hip and ran around a bend where he saw absolute carnage. The guards were lined up, facing the wall, being held at gunpoint at the hands of four miners. The miners had taken them prisoner! Justin signaled the squad to stop and he scurried back around the corner. Carefully peaking his head out he listened to the miners talk.  
  
"What should we do with these blue bastards?" one miner said.  
  
"I say we shoot them and move on." Said another miner.  
  
"Screw that idea!" said the third. "I wouldn't even waste ammo on these bastards!" the miner pistol-whipped the back of a guard's head, caving it. The limp corpse sprawled onto the ground pooling blood in the already red soil.  
  
"Hold it! Maybe Eos wants prisoners." Said the fourth. Justin made up his mind. He wasn't going to let an inferior human treat his brethren like this. He signaled his squad to ambush and stepped out from around the corner. Taking careful aim, he fired a three round burst into the murdering miner.  
  
"Ugh!" the miner grunted as the bullets slammed through the back of his chest. The squad jumped out and open fired. Connely put two shells into a miner, tearing off both his arms. The miner fell to the ground screaming. He was still screaming when another dead miner fell onto of him, rupturing his faceplate and sucking out all the oxygen. Stud's submachine gun sputtered as it spat at rounds in a wide burst, hitting the last remaining miner in his arms, legs, chest, and finally right between his eyes.  
  
"Damage report!" Justin yelled to his squad. No one was hurt; the miners hadn't even returned fire. "Squad keep moving!" Justin went to the guards and made sure they were okay. One had been shot but he'd live. "You guys want to come with us? I hear a rumor about strength in numbers or something." Jamer chuckled out.  
  
"No we can't. We have orders to meet to escort a battle tank to the surface to keep the miners from getting out of the complex. I hear there is a bigger problem in Mine M-4 and in Mine E-14, they probably need you over there so go check it out." The leader of the squad informed them.  
  
"Roger that. Thanks for the tip." Justin thanked him. He turned to look at the directional signs. The closest mine to them was Mine E-14. "Well looks like we're hoofin it. Fall in squad. On the double!" Justin told his squad. They came down the slope and around the blood splattered corners until reaching a security checkpoint at the mouth of Mine E-14. After a quick look around the interior, Swanson, the marksman of the group found a sniper rifle. Swanson took it and posted himself on a guard tower with a ramp up to it. Justin exited the guard station and met up with another squad. They had been assigned to cover that exit and had already seen some pretty heavy fighting.  
Justin fanned out his across the area. Jamer climbed a guard tower also and sat waiting with his sidearm out. The shotgun would be useless in a big cavern like this one. Justin took part with Stud behind a broken down Driller. There was a tunnel behind it that was hidden from view so they could get away if need be. Just then a voice crackled over the intercom.  
  
"Hey Sarge, guess what!" Swanson chimed in excitedly. "This thing can read name plates! I can see come miners coming up the tavern walls before they get to us! Want me to tell you the names of the guys that are coming?" Swanson said, acting like his child self.  
  
"Sure Swanson." Justin answered lazily. Just then miners busted through the side entrance door. "Contact!" Justin yelled over the intercom. Justin turned his sights so a straggling miner in the back armed only with a baton. A quick three round burst in the leg stopped him in his tracks. The miner let out a scream that echoed through the cavern even after he was blown in half by a shotgun. Swanson refrained from firing, still watching the main cavern entrance.  
  
Jamer, still perched on to of the tower fired his pistol wildly into the crowd of congregating miners at his feet. They returned fire, causing him to duck.  
  
"Covering fire!" Jamer yelled. Justin saw a miner run up to a guard who was cumbersomely reloading his shotgun and pistol-whipped him in the chest. The rookie guard grunted but stayed on his feet. The miner fired the pistol into his stomach and then brought his knee to his face, shattering the faceplate, sending glass into the guard's eyes and face. The miner did not shoot the guard as to let him suffer, rolling around on the ground. Justin ran behind the miner and struck him in the spine with the butt of his weapon. There was a bone shattering sound and the miner hit the ground, dead. Justin turned around and confronted another miner with a baton. The miner swung and knocked the rifle out of his hands. Reacting out of purest instincts, Justin dodged and kneed the miner in the stomach. Pulling the pistol out of his holster, he grasped the bent down miner around the neck and pulled him close to his own chest. Placing the pistol against the miner's head caused the miner to scream in fright. The miner tugged at Justin's arm that was around his neck. Justin pulled the gun back and shot the miner in both shoulders. Justin took his human shield and turned to the rest of the miners. He unloaded his clip and put the last bullet through his shield's skull, splattering his own suit with blood. Sliding empty pistol back in the holster, he pick up the rifle. Justin clicked the trigger, but nothing happened. He was out of ammo. Before he could issue the retreat command Swanson chimed in again.  
  
"Sir! We have a ragtag coming our way with a man by the name of Jones, Hunter leading them."  
  
"My squad fall back!" Justin yelled as the main door opened. He turned to see Jamer, under fire and out numbered, trying to run out of the tower.  
  
"I don't deserve to die!" he yelled as he was shot multiple times. Jamer staggered under the hits and fell off the tower, head first. Justin turned his head but he could head the crunch sound and knew he didn't want to look. Justin and Connely ran out behind the Driller, but Swanson stayed behind.  
  
Swanson watched as the guards ran past him. "Where ya going coward?" his officer yelled. Swanson watched as the guard mowed down his own man. The officer turned his head back to the oncoming miners. He didn't have time to re-level his weapon before a bullet broke through his faceplate. Swanson knew it was over. He dropped his gun and raised his hands.  
  
"I surrender!" he shouted. The lead miner shook his head and leveled his pistol towards Swanson's head. As the miner shook his head, Swanson's life flashed before his eyes. His boyhood, his parents, his girlfriend all turned to red in an instant.  
  
How was it? Tell me in a review!  
  
Read Red Faction: Hunter's War too by Obsidian13 for a better insight on him. 


	3. Sick son of a bitch!

The caverns seemed endless after that skirmish with the miners. It was just Justin and Connely now. He had lost two men in the previous battle; he had failed them. Justin promised that Jamer would return home but the only way he could would to be in a bloody envirosuit. Not much closure for the family after the miners were done with him. It didn't matter now. Justin had to get back to Command and find new recruits. After almost an hour of getting lost and backtracking, the two guards found their way back to the main complex without confrontation from the miners.  
  
Justin found himself standing in the dimly lit room again. The hanging lamp made the session seem even tenser then it already was. Somehow, Justin had to let his superiors know the he had failed gracefully and there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
"Sir-I uh…have some information you should know." Justin stammered with his sentences, trying to keep them clean and professional.  
  
"We know about your lose. We saw it on the monitors." The exec went on. "We are disappointed but we knew it would happen. That is why I have another assignment for you. A tech monitor passed some information to us; the miners are planning to escape Mars via shuttle lift off. They are fighting their way to the shuttle as I speak. ETA for shuttle lift off after the miners finish loading it should be at 0900 hours. Since there is little time we have arranged for you to have a Fighter take you and your men- excuse me, man, to the loading station. Get a clean envirosuit and get out there on the double." The exec finished.  
  
"Sir! Neither me or Connely have had a moments rest in eighteen hours, can't you find someone else for the job?" Justin protested.  
  
"Negative. Your orders are clear. Get to the airlock or I will drag you there myself." Said the exec.  
  
Moments later Justin found himself in the airlock with a clean envirosuit on. It felt better then his hot and stinky sweat drenched one. If it hadn't been for the security guards escorting him the entire way, Justin would have made a break for it. At any rate, Justin walked up the loading ramp and to talk to the tech that was waiting there.  
  
"Hello, Sir! I have already prepped your Fighter. It is fully loaded and I just finished buffering it. This time, try not to get bloodstains all over the windshield. This thing isn't equipped with wipers, ya know?" the tech joked happily. Justin was glad someone was happy in all of this mess. He thanked the tech and shared a laugh. Justin climbed the ladder and settled in. He watched from the view screen that Connely was doing the same. They powered up the Fighters and navigated them out of the hole in the ceiling.  
  
The bright Martian sun blazed into view. The glare across Justin's faceplate made him squint. He should have tinted it or worn sunglasses under his envirosuit. It was against regulations but it would definatly help. He pushed the speed actuator forward and heard the turbine jet engines whine for a few seconds before they pushed him back against his seat at full force. It was only a few minutes flight to the shuttle bay from here. As Justin flew in closer he noticed signs of battle at the front doors of the bay.  
  
" 'Blue Balls Birdie', this is Captain KickUInTheNuts, come in 'Blue Balls Birdie'." Justin spoke into the private comm. line.  
  
"Dude, that's so gay. Why can't I be Captain KickUInTheNuts?" 'Blue Balls Birdies answered back.  
  
"Because, Connely, I am your commanding officer, you bow to me and give me gifts, like better call names." Justin cleared up for him.  
  
"Yeah, Ok."  
  
"Anyway," Justin said with a laugh. "We got some Ground Pounders off our right flank, about 5:30 south at 8:30 east. Do you confirm?"  
  
"Roger that." Connely confirmed. "Request permission to engage."  
  
"It's funny how you request permission now, but even if I said 'No' you would still"—Justin was cut off at the sound of the minigun blaring from the Fighter behind him. Justin chuckled to himself as he brought his Fighter into a spin and started to come across the passage. He surveyed almost thirty miners working together, firing at automated turrets in the forward position. Coming from over the front door, Justin set the reticule for the minigun over a rock where miners had taken cover behind from Connely. Justin squeeze the trigger and the minigun ripped through shells like they were candy canes. The bullets cracked into the rocks, making a terrible crunching noise for the miners hiding behind them. Justin lined up the inverted triangle at the top on his reticule and pushed down the secondary fire. A rocked screamed out of the pack and detonated on the rock, causing it to shatter into a million little pieces. Justin's minigun cut the now in the open miners to ribbons, very bloody red ribbons.  
  
Connely came around for a low pass and use the minigun as a battering ram. He chased miners down, firing the minigun the whole time. He cut a miner down to size by putting a bullet in the back of ones kneecap and separated it from his thigh. The miner screamed as Connely chased him with the Fighter and knocked him over the top of it, killing the miner on impact. Connelly's minigun overheated so he eased off the trigger. He punched the speed actuator to full and the sudden burst of speed impaled a miner onto the six- barreled monstrosity. Blood smeared all over the windshield and the miner screamed helplessly. The oozing blood help cool the minigun and Connely fired it again with the miner still on it. First the barrels spun freely inside the man, scrambling his organs. After a few seconds his rib caught on a twirling barrel and the miner spun head over heels, and 4000 rotations per minute. The high velocity ripped the skeletal structure from inside of its corpse and flung both separated former body parts to the ground.  
  
"Damn, Connely! Your one sick son-of-a-bitch!" Justin commented. He had to admit that these miners were getting what they deserved. Justin had stopped his Fighter on top of the complex, behind the turrets. The rest of the miners who weren't mowed down by the terrible machines had entered the complex. The two comrades entered the door below the Helipad and entered the complex's airlock. The two men raided a weapons locker and collected ammo. Justin didn't like the look of how many miners entered the complex, so he decided to get some technical help.  
  
"Hendrix, come in." Justin voiced over the intercom.  
  
"Oh, sure. Give him a normal call name." Connely commented.  
  
"Shut it. Hendrix, do you read me? How many miners entered the complex?" Justin asked. Hendrix's voice crackled into earshot.  
  
"Yes, sorry. I was uh…caught up with someone else." Hendrix answered.  
  
"Great. Other guards need your help too. Can you direct us to their location with the route of least resistance?" Justin asked. He trusted Hendrix like a brother. He had known him since childhood and if there was a way in without getting spotted, Hendrix would find it for them.  
  
"Hmm, let me take a look. Yes there is a route with the smallest resistance to the shuttle bay controls. That is where the guards that need your help are." Hendrix answered back.  
  
"Roger, upload the map for me." Justin requested. The map appeared in a translucent display on his faceplate. The controls were right in front of them but the route Hendrix said to take was cutting towards the front doors then doubling back. Justin figured that they were going behind the miners that just entered. Sounded logical. The two men set off, both armed with shotguns. As they came to a supposed to be empty room the two guards stumbled upon a ragtag group of four miners strangling a line guard. The guard was indoors and did not need his envirosuit, but it was foolish of him not to wear it anyway. Justin opened up with a conjoined blast of two shells into a miner's lower torso, completely separating him in two. Connely decided it would be more fun to take advantage on the miner's lack of weapons, so he ran of to one and flung the shotgun around like a baseball bat, striking the handle on the side on the miners head, snapping his neck. The other two miners released the guard and ran towards Connely. Justin blew one miner's arm off before he got to Connely. Connely handled the other miner by slamming the barrel against his chest and pulled the trigger sending the miner back five feet. They checked on the guard but they were too late. He had a snapped neck. 'They must have killed him before they turned to fight us.' Justin thought.  
  
The rest of the walk to the control room was unaltered until they got outside the door. The floor began to shake as the gargantuan shuttle bay doors opened. They heard the turbines of the shuttle whine and just as they were about to turn around and run a miner ran out of the control room. Both men simultaneously pumped two shells into the man leaving him a bloody mist.  
  
"Hurry!" Justin yelled. "Activate the missile defense system. Target that shuttle! Earth can't find out about Ultor!" Connely ran to the control panel and pushed a sequence of buttons. As he did, a bouquet of missiles launched from their pods and impacted the shuttle. The shuttle was torn apart and the remainders crashed to the ground. Both men were sure that everyone died in the crash so they didn't bother going to check it out. Instead they headed to the medical room, put white sheets over themselves and got some well-deserved rest.  
  
Review guys! how do i know ur reading it? well did u like it or not? tell me! if u want it to continue 


	4. Gryphon

Obsidian13-Thanks for the reviews, and sorry about the grammar stuff, I'm no English major. But no that shuttle was the one Parker tried to get on (a little more light on that will be shed later). (Update Grunt Wars!!!)  
  
(Is not Jenny! I'm gonna kidnap you!)  
  
Disclaimer: I don not own any part of the Red Faction however I do own my characters and I do own the right to make fun of myself wherever I see fit.  
  
Almost twelve hours later the two comrades awoke to the sound of gunfire. The sharp unmistakable snaps could be heard echoing throughout the complex. The only question was: Who was shooting whom? Justin scrambled out of the bunk and helped Connely wake up. Both of them had never been morning people but this was a matter of life and death. As they hastily put on their armor, the two men heard yells. This defiantly meant the battle was coming this way. Pushing more shells into the duo's shotguns they heard all noise stop. After a moment of silence, Connely moved and pushed the button to open the door. The door slid open and they peered outside into the hallway. Nothing was there. Justin took the left side of the door as Connely took the right. They tactically moved outside and secured the hallway. Not a thing in sight.  
  
"Keep your eyes peeled." Justin whispered. The two men went to the other side of the hallway and opened up the door. On the other side was the aftermath of chaos. Blood sloppily painted the walls. It was painted in blood; blood from a guard. The body lay beneath the writing, chest cut open and limbs severed off. His arm was nailed to the wall and legs tied down about six inches from the victim's pelvis. Above the man was written 'Long live Eos. Guards: Ye be warned!' Connely almost threw up as Justin went over to check the body. He was defiantly dead and picked clean of all weapons, ammo and armor. It looked like this guy was tortured. The two men left the room quickly and came upon another scene of carnage. Bodies littered the room, tables were flipped over and blood pooled across the floor. Justin scavenged the bodies and traded his shotgun for a fully loaded submachine gun. It would be more useful to have two different weapon types instead of just close range. The men moved upstairs towards the barracks. They came upon a door that had been locked.  
  
"Stand aside." Connely said with a vengeance. He leveled the shotgun and blew off the locking mechanism. The door slide open easily and inside they found three rudely awoken miners. Justin jumped left inside the room and opened up with the SMG. He managed to pop one miner in the head before he hit the floor. Connely charged in and blasted another miner in his shoulder removing half of his chest. The third miner had time to pick up his pistol and squeeze off three rounds into Connelly's leg and hip. Connely hit the floor gritting his teeth in pain. Justin brought the SMG to bear over the guard's chest and stomach. Justin spent the clip into the miner, making sure when he hit the floor he would be dead. Justin ran over to check on Connely. Thankfully there was no permanent damage to his leg, but he couldn't run. Only two bullets found their mark and both of them passed right through. Justin patched him up with a splint and some medical tape. Justin helped him up and made sure he could at least walk on his own. The two needed to find reinforcements fast. The two exited the barracks, Justin taking point so Connely wouldn't risk getting battered more then he should.  
  
As they were about to exit the room, the door behind them opened and three miners came through. Justin spun around and fired but the miners were faster. They blew Connely in two pieces, not even giving him a chance to know what hit him. He leaped through the door that was now behind him, still firing off the 5.72mm rounds. He caught a miner in the face, pushing the dead miner through the door in which he entered. Justin landed on his back and rolled to avoid fire. He shut the door and locked it. Trying to catch his breath he heard a familiar yell.  
  
"Take that mine scum!" he could barley make out through the closed steel door. He heard a shotgun fire four times and then fall silent. Waiting a few more seconds he hit the door override and spun out, SMG resting on his hip. He spied a familiar blue clad man, kicking bloody pulp around the floor of the room.  
  
"Oh man! Stud! Am I glad to see you!" Justin said happily. He slung the SMG and ran over to his buddy. Stud jumped out of shock from the voice and turned around to greet his CO. "I thought you were toast! How'd you get out of that miner blood bath?" Stud suppressed a smile.  
  
"Played dead." He said. "You always said 'It's better to turn and run then to die.'" He was right he did say that. "What happened? You guys ditched me!"  
  
"No we didn't! Assuming you were dead is not ditching." Justin clarified.  
  
"Whatever man." Stud resumed. "I've been trying to find you guys for hours. Command kept calling saying they have a new mission for you, pulling guard duty or something. We have to get to the submarine bay at the bottom of this level. Hendrix said there was something going on down there."  
  
"Right. Let's go."  
  
The two guards set out in search of the submarine bay. It didn't take long to find it. They each climbed into a sub and dropped in into the watery depth. The tunnel was illuminated but it was still hard to see anything with significant detail. They guided the submarines to an underwater research facility where they were greeted by a group of miners. Justin popped the top of the sub and stood on the seat, exposing the upper have of his body.  
  
"Try me miner!" He exclaimed as he blew away a miner beating a tech. Justin didn't care about the techs or science team so he didn't care if his shooting was a little inaccurate. Stud hopped onto the ramp and out of the water blasting away with his shotgun. He scored a hit from a double blast on a miner's shoulder. The miner was flung into the air and corkscrewed his way to the ground, his arm landing on him a second later. Bullets pinged off the sub and Justin took cover back inside. Stud dove into the water for cover as the miners recovered from the ambush and started to return fire.  
  
'This is gonna be over soon unless I can turn the tides.' Justin thought for a minute and then looked at the sub controls. The torpedoes exploded if they reached the surface of the water, but if he could angle it right to hit the next to the miners, it might kill some or at least give him a chance to get control of the skirmish once again.  
  
Justin plopped himself down at the controls and looked out the view screen. He saw Stud holding his breath and trying to position himself under the dock. Justin had to act quickly so Stud wouldn't drown. He aligned up the dot with the edge of the water and slammed on the fire button down with his fist. There was a sound of rushing water as the explosive was sent hurdling towards the platform. It exploded at the edge and threw one miner into another. Justin jumped onto the seat and fired wildly into the miners who were still standing. He pummeled one man in the chest three times and stomach twice. The miner fell to his knees. Instead of the next shot hitting his stomach, it connected with his head. He sprayed the other two with fire until they refused to get up. Stud surfaced, breathing heavily.  
  
"It took you long enough!" Stud informed him with attitude. Justin smirked and hopped out of the sub. The two reloaded their weapons with ammo picked up from the miners and without incident moved to Deputy Administrator Gryphon's office.  
  
As the two men came to the lobby, the secretary informed Stud he had to wait outside since Gryphon called for Justin only. Stud sat down on the couch with a plop and picked up a magazine as Justin went inside to converse with his new employer.  
  
"Sir! Sergeant Justin McKinley reporting as ordered!" Justin greeted him with.  
  
"Cut that out soldier. You don't have to call me 'sir'." Gryphon said and then spun his chair around to face the mural behind him. "We received a tip form our top tech that a miner was trying to infiltrate this office. That's why they pulled out the real Gryphon and sent me here, as a decoy. The tech says that he's some kind of 'super human miner' the only miner to survive from Mine M-4. There are posters of him all around the complex. He's going to be dressed normally so keep your eyes peeled." Gryphon finished with. Justin was a little more then confused when he heard this. A super miner? What the hell did that mean? Could this guy dig really well or something? Whatever it meant Justin still had to follow orders. "You and what's left of your squad are to be positioned on this floor, outside my office. If there is any trouble get out immediately. Your record is too good to just throw away in a bombing or something. Dismissed soldier." 


	5. The Plague

The doors grinded shut behind Justin as he exited the office. Stud had put down his 'Mining and You' magazine and followed his commander. Justin had received his guard route and told to just hang out until the strike happened. Justin told the situation to Stud, feeling that he should know everything that Justin knew.  
  
"That magazine was a load of crap." Was the only thing that Stud said as an answer. Justin looked at him with raised eyebrows.  
  
"What were you doing reading a magazine about mining?" Stud looked at him slyly and spoke smoothly:  
  
"Just thinking about a career change." Justin laughed and wrapped his arms around Stud's head. He held his headlock tight and swiped his foot under Stud's. The guard went down and both men were laughing like boys, rolling over and trying to pin the other. They hadn't realized that three other guards were watching them from a couch nearby. After Justin confirmed victory he stood up and waved to the other guards. They smiled awkwardly and waved back. Justin lent a helping hand to Stud and then both men went over to the other guards.  
  
"Hey guys!" Stud greeted the cheerfully.  
  
"Haha, how you guys doing? Getting a little bored over there?" One of the unknown guards answered.  
  
"Well, you know how these things work," Stud answered the man, "idle hands are the devil's playground, and he's got some pretty sweet rides." The five men laughed together. Justin had a flashback to old times, before the miner rebellion, when things were good. Justin envisioned himself with his squad sitting at the mess hall tables. They laughed together about who beat a miner worse today, or how badly they sweat in their envirosuit. Everything was going great, everyone important was happy. Then, this-this pure crap started to happen. That damned Eos. It was her fault his squad-his friends had been killed! 'Screw the miners,' Justin thought to himself. 'and screw this! No way I'm waiting around for some miner strike force to come take me out in this God awful office complex. He had to find Hendrix so he could unlock the security doors and let him out of here.  
  
Stud stopped laughing when he looked at Justin. He saw such hate in his eyes, such fury. Justin's eyes began to tear and he blinked them away. It seemed though he finally regained his composer and spoke again.  
  
"Guys, we need to get out of here. Something is going to happen I can feel it. We need to leave!" Justin spurted out all at once. "If we don't get the hell out of here something bad is going to happen to all of us." Justin spoke so fast he was worried his words would come out jumbled and fall to the floor unheard. He forced himself to slow down and speak. "Get to the airlocks. I out rank all of you and this is a direct order. Get to the airlocks and suit up for immediate departure. Get to an APC or something and wait for me there." Justin told the men.  
  
"Hey we can't do that. We got order's from up top." A man from the other squad responded.  
  
"Fuck up top!" Justin shouted as he drew his sidearm. He pointed it into the group of men. Two men from the other squad started to draw theirs too, but Stud was quicker. He had his pistol pointed into the group too. The two groups stood facing each other until the new squad of men took their hands away from the holsters. Justin returned his pistol to his hip and made off to the elevator and towards Hendrix.  
  
Justin made it down to the second floor of the complex without losing any rage and turned right. He followed the corridor to the second door and opened it. Justin punched in the security pass code and the door grinded open and revealed the black male with dorky glasses sitting at a computer. Hendrix knew Justin was behind him but didn't turn around: Justin did it for him. He grabbed the tech's chair and spun it around. Then he snagged the tech's collar and lifted him out of the chair and onto his feet. Justin was almost a head taller then the tech, but Hendrix stared him down with deep penetrating eyes. Justin looked into his eyes and saw a helpless man, and loosened his grip on the tech's collar.  
  
"What the hell is going on here, Hendrix?" Justin asked with surprising coolness.  
  
"I-I d-d-don't know what your talking ab-bout." Hendrix barley stuttered out. Justin saw beads of sweat form around the tech's forehead and face. The tech swallowed hard, trying not to look too guilty.  
  
"Damn it, Hendrix. I know something is going on. Tell me or I'll pop a cap in yo ass!" Justin said like someone from a classical movie. He pulled out his pistol and pushed it into the tech's hip. Justin was about to speak again when he heard the buzzing of an alarm. He turned back to Hendrix who was visually more relaxed. Justin knew Hendrix was up to something, but what was it?  
  
"You gonna get that?" Hendrix asked him almost sincerely. Justin growled and dropped the tech back into his chair. He pointed the pistol up in the air and slowly backed out of the door and re-holstered his pistol. As Justin backed out of the security door and someone ran into him, knocking both people down.  
  
"Oww. I'm really sorry I should have watched where I was going. Do you need help, sir?" Justin began to say. He scrambled up and lifted the man by his underarms. The man was very sweaty, like just came out of an envirosuit sweaty. Justin started to straighten the man's suit when he felt something hard underneath it. Justin stopped for a second and looked hard into the man's face. In an instant Justin recognized him. It was Parker, the super miner. Parker sprung into action with the fastest reflexes a human could possibly have. The pistol was out from beneath his suit and his hand was pressed into Justin's hip. Justin reacted to the movement and drew his own pistol. Both men fired at the same time and connected with the other. Parker squeezed off a round into Justin's hip as Justin fired and hit the miner in the shoulder. Parker recoiled towards his left and leaped into a hallway. His mission was clear to Justin. It wasn't to kill the guards, it was to kill Gryphon. Parker needed the ammo. Justin stammered back to the elevator and rode it to the motor pool. He fell out onto the tarmac where his squad was waiting for him.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" asked Stud as he lifted Justin and helped him into an APC. One of the men from the other unit grabbed an extra envirosuit for Justin incase they needed to bail. Justin was laid out on the floor on the vehicle as two other guards powered it up. The doors opened and the driver floored it. Stud and another guard tended to Justin's hip. It hadn't been bleeding too badly and the most he would have is a sore butt. Still, the pain was intense. Justin wasn't sure if it was the painkillers that put him out or if he lost consciousness.  
  
Justin awoke several hours later in an area unknown to him. He lifted his head and saw other guards around him all lying on white bed sheets. He looked across the room and saw three doctors attending to miners. The miners were lying in beds, but they were covered in blood. His friends were nowhere to be found. Justin tried to sit up but grunted at the pain still in his hip. A doctor looked in his direction and rushed over to him.  
  
"Ahh you're awake. Good. Stay off that leg for at least an hour to let it fully heal. We have Ashisekoptiklago in you to help your cells regenerate faster. Don't worry it will all be over soon." The doctor said with a cheery smile. Justin lay back down and looked at the bed next to him. There was a miner on the bed. His eyes were open and he was breathing heavily. The doctor saw Justin looking at the miner and went to his bed.  
  
"I'm afraid we've lost him." Said the doctor and began to cover the miner with his sheet. The miner looked a bit confused and started to sit up.  
  
"Whoa doc! I'm not dead!" The miner protested. The doctor put a syringe into the man's arm and then pulled it out. The miner closed his eyes instantly and laid back down.  
  
"Now, now. Whose the doctor here?" he said to the body underneath the sheet. Suddenly Justin heard a gurgling sound coming from under the sheet. Blood started to wet the sheet from the midsection of the body and spread to all over the sheet. Justin watched in horror as the doctor pulled away the bloody sheet and exposed a body with burnt skin. The face and limbs were extremely disfigured and the skin was flaking off.  
  
"Hmm, this subject is reacting better then the last. Just a slight addition of ethyl monosacarides and the chemical should be ready for distribution." The doctor said to himself. He turned back to his lab table and spoke over a walkie-talkie. "Capek, come in. I should have your chemical finished before the end of the day. I could not find any more miners so I recruited one of your guards. I'm going to begin testing in a minute and get back to you in about ten." The guard put down the radio and walked back towards Justin's table bed. Once the doctor was in arms reach, Justin lashed out and struck him in the stomach. He bent down and clutched his gut and Justin slammed his head against the corner of the bed. The doctor hit the floor and went out cold.  
  
Recovering from what had just went on, Justin realized he only had ten minutes until security showed up and found out he wasn't dead. Justin started to get off of the bed but stopped when he felt a sharp pain in his hip. Holding his hip, Justin waddled over to the table to find more pain medication. Upon taking some weird named pills, Justin started to feel better almost instantly. He only had five minutes to make it out of there. Justin looked around the lab and found a headset. He tuned it to the squad's frequency and called for a jeep pickup.  
  
"Sarge, we're already waiting outside. Come quickly the merc's are dying to get in and kill some stuff!" Stud's voice crackled over the intercom. Justin forgot about weapons and ran to the nearest airlock. He found an empty merc envirosuit and hastily put it on. Justin hobbled over to the jeep waiting for him about ten feet from the airlock. Stud pulled him in and laid him across the bed in the back. Justin checked his wound. The stitches had come out and he was bleeding badly. Justin's world was encased in black. 


End file.
